1. What is the role of the news in pandemics?

The best example of mass media and news services being utilized during pandemics can
be found in the very recent outbreak of COVID-19 that effectively shut down some areas of the
world for over a year. Mass media is defined as “TV news, internet/social media (Facebook,
WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.), radio, and newspapers.” according to an article
by the Indian Journal of Medical Sciences (Chauhan). Mass media can be used in a pandemic or
epidemic scenario to disseminate information about the current state of the outbreak or to share
the most updated medical knowledge and recommendations to the masses. While media is a
useful tool in this sense for both governments and health organizations, the use of such sources
can also lead to increased anxiety and fear surrounding the disease, as is evident in an increasing
number of studies relating to modern outbreaks of disease. This increased paranoia can be
attributed to multiple sources, such as the overconsumption of media, leading to an overwhelmed
general population, as well as the prevalence of falsified information regarding safety measures
or undermining government response. While individuals can prevent the negative effects of
media consumption by reducing their own consumption, it is important to remember that the
media still plays a very important role during outbreaks of infectious disease. Especially during a
lockdown scenario, the general populace will have no other way of accessing information
without the participation of media sources. Media can have many harmful effects on a population
even without the looming life-or-death situations that pandemics are often construed as. It can be
difficult for the average consumer of media to differentiate between sources that are reliable and
backed by the most recent scientific studies opposed to sources that only operate for profit or to
fearmonger, taking advantage of the unique scenario people are put into. It is because of the
unknown features of outbreaks that can cause such a divide and distrust to grow within a populus
towards each other and towards governments. There are many ways that health organizations can
prevent misinformation from spreading, especially online, including ad campaigns targeting
specific at-risk groups, collaborating with artists or local leaders within struggling communities,
and maintaining a neutral position as new information arises (Ciampa).
 2. Was mental health during pandemics a concern before the modern age of
psychology?

During the height of the AIDs pandemic, and still to this day, many populations are at
risk for and misconceptions about the disease, are stigmatized heavily, and more likely to commit
suicide (Cox). These are all massive concerns that individuals with HIV have faced since the
popularization and media coverage of the disease in the 1980s, yet have only recently become a
topic for the scientific community to discuss and try to prevent. This is unfortunate, as
comorbidities associated with infectious diseases that have been stigmatized are not a recent
occurrence, and in fact have been happening for at least the past century, most likely much
longer. During and after the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-1920, survivors of the disease
reported “sleep disturbances, depression, mental distraction, dizziness, and difficulties coping at
work, and that influenza death rates in the United States during the years 1918-1920 significantly
and positively related to suicide.” (Moffic) There has always been a distinct link between disease
and mental health, even if modern psychiatric practices and research are only just catching up.
Understanding the connection between pandemics and emotional deficits can assist in future
outbreaks when the overall health of a population is suffering. An individual's quality of life will
begin to suffer if their mental health deteriorates, but the opposite is also true. The isolation,
paranoia, and general fear of the unknown, can lead to a more disconnected society. Although it
is difficult to do, new research regarding past pandemics and their impact on the emotional well
being of the societies and communities they affected will be vital to modern science’s
understanding of mental health in regards to modern-day outbreaks.
 3. Are some areas more at risk in pandemics?

There are two different types of risk associated with infectious disease, specifically
pandemic risk. Spark risk is the risk that is calculated where a new pandemic could potentially
begin, while spread risk evaluates the likelihood of the disease spreading over a large portion of
human populations. Spark risk is the highest in Central and West Africa, as well as South and
Southeast Asia (Madhav). This is mainly because of the rapid expansion of human settlements
and industrial complexes into previously untouched areas. This increased contact with nature
increases the risk for zoonotic diseases, or diseases that cross the species barrier, to impact
human populations. Almost all modern-day pandemics have been caused by zoonotic outbreaks,
including COVID-19, SARS, Ebola, HIV and AIDS, and many strains of influenza viruses.
“When outbreaks begin, the poor are also more likely to have already been suffering from
malnutrition and immunosuppressive conditions, which can increase susceptibility to infectious
diseases,” states an article discussing the risk of pandemics to poorer communities (Fugle). There
are multiple ways that scientists and healthcare professionals are working to close the gap
between poorer, and therefore more vulnerable countries, and larger countries with better funding
for public health crises. This begins by preparing LMICs (low and middle-income countries) for
pandemics before they happen. More affluent countries can invest in human-animal surveillance
tactics, provide aid in distributing vaccines and medication during outbreaks, and to invest into
relief funds prior to any outbreak occurring, lessening the economic burden on richer countries.
While there are massive gaps in the funding of public and global health campaigns across the
world, there has been an increase in this funding since the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries can
bridge this gap by realizing the risk that infectious disease processes to all sectors of society, and
can have a massive economic impact. The best way to prevent these losses is by increasing
awareness of the most up-to-date public health information to the general public and to recognize
the individual risks to each country or community that has the potential to be affected.
 4. What are the key differences between major pandemics?

Not all pandemics are formed equally, yet all have at least a few things in common. All
pandemics are caused by a virus, bacteria, fungus, or protist that is contagious or became
contagious to humans. To become a pandemic, the infectious disease must spread though more
than one country, in most cases, more than one continent (CDC). Humans have faced diseases
that fit this description many times in history, and all have had significant impacts on the
economy and on society as a whole. The biggest and most noticeable difference between many
pandemics is how easily they spread and how many people end up dying as a result of the
disease. These statistics vary widely from disease to disease, and are also impacted by the
medical knowledge and knowhow available at the time the pandemic occurs. The Black Death,
for example, likely would have had a much lower fatality count if physicians and scientists then
knew what is now common knowledge. Basic cleanliness habits that are simple for most
modern-day individuals to understand, would have had no perceived positive effect by
physicians of the day. Depending on the infectious capabilities of each individual disease, some
pandemics have had their impacts drastically reduced by quick and effective action by public
health organizations like the WHO and CDC. Rapid deployment of the vast resources of these
organizations can not only quickly spread awareness of a specific disease, but prevent its spread
through quarantine measures and social distancing. The best example of this comes in the form
of the SARS virus outbreak, as “Seven months after its first appearance in November 2002, the
SARS Pandemic was declared over in July 2003 due to remarkable global efforts to identify the
virus, isolate cases, and contact tracing,” (Tekin). Unfortunately this rapid response has only
been effective a portion of the time, and the effectiveness of these techniques largely depends on
governments accurately reporting vital data to the appropriate sources, as well as citizens of
affected countries following recommended safety measures and protocols.
 5. What can we do to reduce the negative effects of pandemics?

It has been shown clearly in many recent studies that pandemics can be hugely
detrimental to many aspects of an individuals’ daily life, and these detrimental effects will only
continue to grow in number and severity as infectious disease takes on a larger role in society.
Pandemics are more likely to occur now than compared to any other time in human history. This
can be attributed to the rapid expansion of human development of all types into previously
untouched areas, leading to increased interactions between humans and other animals. Although
“the understanding of the mechanisms of transmission of pathogens to humans allowed the
establishment of methods to prevent and control infections,” pandemics will still inevitably
happen, and the next step in the public health sector is to mitigate the harmful side effects that
they can have on the world (Piret). General pandemic preparedness begins with public health
organizations and governments forming plans and taking action to improve public and global
health prior to the start of a pandemic. This will inevitably lead to the need to increase funding
for healthcare programs both nationally and internationally, and while in the short term this may
not seem economically viable, being unprepared for an outbreak of infectious disease can and
will lead to devastating financial impacts, far worse than if a nation prepares effectively. After a
pandemic begins, funding can be focused on preventing the spread of the disease via public
health campaigns and mandated mitigation tactics for the public. Nations must also prepare for
the worst case scenario in every scenario, meaning that they should be able to handle a large
amount of sick individuals without the interference of foreign aid (Madhav). While this is an
ideal situation, it is clear to many researchers that this level of health awareness and preparedness
is unrealistic for the time being, and most countries have many years ahead of them before being
truly prepared for a large-scale pandemic.
Group Summary and Questions

I have found that working in my specific group has been relatively helpful so far in terms
of finding sources easier and refining research techniques. I have found that I often stumble into
good resources for other people in my group in the process of doing my own research, and it is
great to be able to give someone else a resource they might not have found otherwise. It has been
immensely interesting to hear about other people's problems and hiccups during the project so
far, as there are always people there that are willing to give insight into what could potentially be
going wrong. This assignment specifically has given me a lot of new insight into where
specifically I want this research project to go, and its direction has shifted slightly the more
research I do, which I don’t believe is a negative thing. I do have some questions when we return
to the organization of the rough draft, as I currently have a lot of ideas, but am unsure of how to
fit them together yet. I would like to vary my word choice more within my paragraphs, because I
can already notice a lot of buzzwords that wake up repeatedly, and I find that it can sometimes
make the reader become desensitized. I would like to write a paragraph on why my topic is so
important, but am unsure at this point about how to phrase the individual questions that should
be contained within that paragraph. I am sure that more questions will come to me as I begin
formulating my rough draft, but I believe that is all of them for now.

Steps to Continue My Research Project

1. I would like to reread my outline and potentially reformat my main topics and subtopics,
as I feel they do not accurately represent the direction that I would like my project to go.
2. I would like to research more newspaper articles from the time of each individual
pandemic I am researching to gain better insight into the emotional impact they had at the
height of the disease.
3. I would like to compile all of my current and past resources into a single document for
easier access, as currently I am only able to access them through bookmarks, which does
not allow me to easily remember which source is what.
4. There is a book that contains opposing viewpoints that I have not read yet, but a specific
article interests me, discussing the potential that governments overreacted to the SARS
pandemic. I believe that this will be helpful to my research, therefore I plan to read it
soon.
5. To prevent the overuse of certain words within my writing, I plan to go through many of
my resources to find more specific words, as well as to expand my vocabulary within this
specific topic.
 Works Cited

CDC. “CDC What is a Pandemic QL Transcript.” CDC,

https://www.cdc.gov/scienceambassador/videos/what-is-a-pandemic-quick-learn-transcri

pt.pdf. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Chauhan, Anjali. “Role of mass media and its impact on the general public during the

coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in North India: An online assessment.” NCBI, 29

May 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8219014/. Accessed 25

November 2023.

Ciampa, Charlotte. “Social Media During a Public Health Crisis.” NACCHO, 29 December

2022, https://www.naccho.org/blog/articles/social-media-during-a-public-health-crisis.

Accessed 25 November 2023.

Cox, Tracy. “People living with HIV/AIDS have a significantly higher risk of suicide.” Penn

State, 28 June 2021,

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/people-living-hiv-aids-have-significantly-highe

r-risk-suicide/. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Fugle, Justin. “Pandemics and the poor | Brookings.” Brookings Institution, 19 June 2017,

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/pandemics-and-the-poor/. Accessed 26 November

2023.

Madhav, Nita. “Pandemics: Risks, Impacts, and Mitigation - Disease Control Priorities:

Improving Health and Reducing Poverty.” NCBI, 2018,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525302/. Accessed 26 November 2023.

Psychiatric Times, 28 May 2020,

https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/spanish-flu-pandemic-and-mental-health-historic

al-perspective. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Piret, Jocelyn. “Pandemics Throughout History.” Frontiers, 23 December 2020,

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.631736/full. Accessed 27

November 2023.

Tekin, Aysun. “Pandemics Throughout History - PMC.” NCBI, 20 September 2021,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8525686/. Accessed 27 November 2023.